The Portland daily press., 1887-02-28
XLIXth CONGRESS- SECOND SESSION
SENATE.
WASHINGTON. Feb. q.

w WA5HlNOlONs EbDs Ais
Mr.. Plumb. from the conference committee
on the postoffice appropriation bill, reported
disagreement on the subsidy section, and
moved that the Senate insist and ask fur
ther conference. So ordered.
Inc Senate then at 1245, proceeded to the
consideration of the consular and diplomatic
appropriation bill.
Mr. Platt inquired Of Mr.. Allison, chair
man Of the committee on appropriations, as
TO the condition Of the appropriation bills,
Mr.. Allison said that only one apprOpria-
ton bill-the army bill-had abeen signed by
the President. The only other appropria-
tlon bills that had passed both Houses were
the pension bill and the military academy
bill. The postoffice bill, the Indian bill, the
sundry civil bill, and the District of Colum-
bia bill were all in conference. The Legis-
latlve bill, the most important next to the
sundry civil, had not vet been taken up for
consideration by the House Representatives.
The naval bill was now under consideration
in that body. and had been for two or three
days: 1t was proceeding there with COM
mendable leisure" the House having ad-
J0urned yesterday at AIS. The House def
cheney bill had not yet been reported to the
House, nor had the f0rtifcations bill yet
reached the Senate.
The presiding officer. Mr.. Sherman, rose to
a question Of privilege. He thanked the
Senators for their courtesy to him while he
was their presiding officer.
Senator ingalls, then advanced TO the desk
OF the presiding officer. and there took and
subscribed to the oath Of office. Then, hav-
ing stepped to the platform, addressed the
Senate in clear and tones. He said:
Senators, must inevitably suffer dispar-
agement in your estimation by contrast with
the parliamentary learning the skill, the ur-
banity and the accomplishments OF my illus
tri0us predecessor, but shall strive 10 equal
him in devotion TO your service, and | shall
endeavor to excel him III that be posslbIel
In grateful appreciation Of the distinguished
honor OF your sufrages."
Mr.. Harris offered resolution (which was
adopted unanimously rendering the thanks
and impartial administration of the duties OF
the presiding officer.
Resolutions were also offered and adopted
for the notification of the House of Repre-
sentatlves and OF the President of the cleo
ti0n Of Senator ingalls, as president pro tenn.
of the Senate.
The consular and diplomatic approximation
bill was then proceeded with.
Mr.. Platt inquired of Mr.. Allison whether
the estimates of the state department were
larger than the amount the House appropri-
ated, and, If so, whether he (Mr. Allison) re-
garded the estimates as extravagant.
Mr.. Allison replied that they were extrava-
CANT as compared with the appropriations Of
the past few years. and as compared with
the recommendations of former secretaries OF
state.
Mr.. Peck said that the chairman of the
foreign affairs committee in, the House, Mr.
Belmont, had reported well considered BILL
but for some reason or other, the House had
taken hold of IL and make Of il very incon-
gruOus bill. The bill had been torn all to
pieces in the House on the score Of economy
or some other pretence, so that under it the
business Of the government in itslforeign re.
lations could not be maintained. He thought
that his Republican colleagues on the COM
| mittee had done good service to the country
in reporting such amendments to the bill as
| they had done.
| lucky for his manly statement. He (Mr.
| Plato did not believe that the estimates of
| the state department were too high. The
difficulty in amen ling the bill so as to give
| the consular and diplomatic service what Ii
needed, was that the House of Representa-
| tives had cut down ruthlessly the estimates
| of the state department., awithOut regard to
the requirements of the service, and that
when the Senate made the necessary appro-
priations 1t was to be charged with .being ex-
travagant. and the extravaganza of the Re
publican Senate was to be contrasted with
the economy of the Democratic House. This
did embarrass the Senate. IL he were TO act
from political standpoint he would vote
against every one of these amendments and
say that, II the Democratic House of Repre-
sentatives did not choose to make the neeeS-
sary appropriations for its officials abroad,
he would let 1t take its own medicine,
Mr.. Hale said that that committee had
strlyen to rescue the consular and diplomatic
services Of the country from the torn and
mangled condition in which the Heuse bills
had left 1t. III the most important places in
| the consular service had been selected by
Fermentation IN order TO be stricken down,
| the list Of important consulates that had
| been ruthlessly beheaded at the other end of
the Capitol would have been the same.
Mr. Call argued that the bill did not make
adequate provisions for the consular and
| diplomatic service.
Mr.. Salisbury defended the House Of
| Representatives from the criticisms to which
| it had been subjected. He thought it would
be wise for the appropriation committees of
| both Houses to confer together before any
| appropriation bill was reported.
Mr.. Plumb, In the course OF the debate,
/ spoke In terms OF ridicule Of the American
Minister at London, and his predecessor,
Mr.. Lowell, he said, was more proud Of
being citizen Of the republic Of letters than
Of the republic Of the United States. Until
| some American enterprise was got into the
/ consular and diplomatic service, 1t was just
as well to leave it in its present rut. If not
a disgrace, 1t was, at all events, no credit TO
| the American people. 1t needed recastlng
and rebuilding from turret to foundation
| stone" A structure OF that kind could not
/ be patched. Every patch put upon 1t would
only illustrate the Inherent deformity Of the
/ entire structure.
Mr.. Morrill, said he had not caught the re-
/ marks Of the Senator from Kansas, but he
understood that they had been depreeatory
/ of the American minister In England. That
gentleman was very able lawyer, one OF
the finest speakers he had ever heard, a
learned man, and his recent correspondence
| on the fishery question showed him to be q
man Of marked ability.
Mr.. Plumb remarked that he had not said
anything imepgning the ability of the pres
ent mnisterTo England. But he was In.
formed and believed that that gentleman
neglected, habitually and systematically. his
duties as minister, so far as they related Il
the comfort the convenience and the inter.
ests OF American citizens. He was Informed
and believed that the American minister wa,
practically "toady to the British aristocra
ey." There ought to be somthing Of the dig
nlty Of American citizenship observed by the
minister to England In his Judgment